A literature review and cluster analysis of the Aachen production planning and control model under Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 technologies influence how production is planned, scheduled, and controlled. In literature, different classifications of the tasks and functions of production planning and control (PPC) exist, of which one is the German Aachen PPC model. This paper conducts an exploratory literature review by reviewing 48 publications on a full-text basis. Based on the review, a cyber-physical PPC architecture is proposed, which incorporates current Industry 4.0 technologies, current optimisation methods, optimisation objectives, and disturbances, relevant for the realisation of a PPC system in a smart factory. A classification scheme is developed as a basis for two cluster analyses that reveal researched and unexplored tasks and functions of the Aachen PPC model. Current approaches focus on the in-house PPC, particularly on the control using real-time information from the shop floor. Future research directions are proposed for the unexplored tasks and functions of the Aachen PPC model.